Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-27
Naturalists and Litterati.

There was a tIme-and that not so
very long ago-when a man of letters
was entirely unlikely to be a man of
science, and men of science were scarce
ly more likely to have much facility
with their pons. 1t was said of Scott,
indeed, that he was the first English
novelist to lead his readers out of doors.
However that may be, he certainly did
take them out of doors, and right glori-
ously, in both his prose and his poetry.
Nor can that man be called other than
unhappy who does not still enjoy read
ing of all those knights and merry men
under the greenwood tree; who does
not like to hear the ..hark and whoop
and wild halloo" in ''The Lady of the
Lake" or 90 joyously into the hunting
field with Di Vernon; who does not, in
Rob Roy" gladly accompany the great
novelist who made the Highlands
Mecca with his striking tales of war
and adventure. But SCOTS readers look
to him for action, for romantic scenery.
for air and exercise, and do not expect
any minute observation of nature, as
Audubon and Button understood it-as
we have been made to understand it by
Ihoreau, MIR. Burroughs. Mr.. Torrey.
and Miss Thomas, whose Round Year.
has just set US to thinking of this sub
ject.
o. Brignali banks are wild and fair
And Gretn woods are green,
And you may gather garIands there
Would grace summer queen.
But you may ask in vain what flowers
went to make these garlands which were
gathered on Brignall banks and in
Greta woods, just as one is inclined to
doubt whether Shelley knew where his
skylark had its nest, and to suspect
Burns of not knowing any too much Of
The natural history of the field mouse,
in spite of the genius-born words in
which he describes the cowerin' beastie.
The natural historians, on the other
hand, used never to be expected to show
literary skill, and the greater number
rof them-even several of the most ia
| mous-onc would not think of reading
except for information. Button, to be
sure, has style, but 1t is usually so out
of keeping with his subject that his
readers are sometimes tempted to wish
that, like most of the Older nafuralists,
he had none
1t has been reserved for an American
school-Atlantic, as it might be called
Ito show what minute observation and
good writing can accomplish between
them. In saying this we do not forget
one or two English uovclists who have
come close to nature in some of her
visible forms. Kingsley and his Devon
shire coast can not soon be forgotten.
but he again, as we'll as Mr.. Black, is
chiefly concerned with what may be
broadly described as scenery. As for
Thomas Hardy-wonderfu and beauti-
FIJI as are many of has descriptions
treatment of nature is so subjective SO
much Of his own personality enters even
into a picture of a hedgerow, that he
scarcely counts in our discussion. 1t is,
then, TO an American school that we
must look for q real union of literature
and natural history. Mr.. Burroughs,
Miss Thomas, Mr.. Torrey-the list is by
no means exclusive-not only knows "a
bar whereon the wild thyme grows"
but hey know also all that is 20 be
learned about the wild thyme itself.
In other words. the woods and the fields
and the streams ale as much within
their ken as the poets. Mr.. Burroughs
Mrs. Oliphant says that American
women abroad speak of him proudly as
dear John Burroughs"-Blr. Burroughs
neglects no smallest detail in his ac-
counts of birds and wild flowers, but he
likewise has an eye for whatever is
grand in nature, and an ear for the
greatest poets. Miss Thomas, too, is
capable and shows that she is capable
of observation, as we'll rs that Of old
White, of Silborne, when he was watch
ing for the venerable tortoise TO come
out of his hole Her vigilance is so
keen that the slightest changes in the
anemone when tho wind blows over it
do not escape her; yet Miss Thomas
also Is hand and glove with the poets
not only with those WHO are familiarly
quoted, but such AS Elizabethan Davis,
"whose verse. " she affirm, "has touch
both of the savant and transcendentai-
ist. -" Boato.. Post.